About IFDC
IFDC is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America. IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency. These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use. IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions. With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soil on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.
IFDC is currently seeking to recruit a qualified and self-motivated Irrigation Specialist for ARIA – Niger project.
Job Responsibilities
- Planning and Research:
- Conducting research, tests, trials, and demonstrations related to irrigation at the farm level.
- Analyzing data to improve the efficiency of irrigation systems.
- Investigating the impact of water quality on crops and agriculture.
- Studying various irrigation schemes to inform planning, design, and system improvement.
- Water Management:
- Regulating, supervising, and verifying tasks related to water management.
- Ensuring water resources are used efficiently and in accordance with regulations.
- Monitoring planting and other agricultural activities in irrigable areas for effective water management planning during both rainy and dry seasons.
- Technology Development:
- Developing technologies for tracking planting trends and economic crop production in irrigable areas.
- Defining guidelines for water management and profit evaluation in irrigable areas.
- Knowledge Dissemination:
- Transferring research results and technical papers to the appropriate target audience.
- Collaborating with other organizations involved in cropping, fisheries, and livestock for integrated water management.
- Technical Services:
- Providing information on water consumptive use, irrigation water quality, methods, and land utilization statistics in irrigation projects.
- Advising on irrigation water management issues and related tasks.
- Work with private sector
Job Requirements
This is a position that requires highly motivated and self-driven individuals with the following qualifications.
- Masters’ degree or PhD in agronomy, Irrigation, or other relevant discipline from a reputable institution.
- At least 7 years of experience in supporting project management in irrigation system, value chain/market systems analysis and development, food systems analysis and development, systems analysis and development, or other related areas.
- High ability to conduct research in irrigation field.
- Prior experience in managing USAID-funded project is a plus
- Fluency in English and French
- Excellent verbally and written communication skills in French and English
- Must be based in Niamey, Niger
Reporting and Work Relationships:
The Irrigation Specialist oversees Component 3 activity / IR 3 to facilitate the implementation of activities on Irrigation technologies for better groundwater management. The specialist will design the technical and operational strategy related to this sector and driving implementation of this sector activities. The specialist on Irrigation sector will report to Chief of Party of ARIA – Niger project.
The specialist will work in close collaboration with the IFDC Global support team, IFDC staff members and colleagues from other project consortium members.
Location
The Irrigation Specialist is a national position with a duty in the Activity office in Niamey, Niger.
The position requires intensive travels (up to 30% of the time) in target Zone of Influence (ZOI) districts in Niger and may require international travel to IFDC HQs and IFDC countries.
Benefits
IFDC’s benefits include annual and sick leave, health, and group life insurance coverage, a 13th-month salary, social security, and pension contribution in compliance with local laws and end-of-contract benefits.
Salary Clause
The salary grade for this position is BG 9 with a minimum annual starting salary of 13,693,200 XOF.
The determination of new employee salaries considers various factors. These include the salary range linked to the assigned job grade, the candidate’s qualifications for the job’s responsibilities and prerequisites, internal fairness, the competitive state of the job market, as well as potential organizational and budgetary considerations.
Diversity Clause
IFDC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and offers equal employment opportunities based on ability, performance, and potential. Equal opportunity is integral to the recruitment and selection practices at IFDC. IFDC recognizes the value in recruiting employees with different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, perspectives, and beliefs. IFDC recognizes and values the contribution of people with a diverse background in capabilities, experience, and perspectives. Diversity encompasses gender, age, experience, education, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural backgrounds as well as other dimensions such as lifestyle and family responsibilities.
About Program/Project
Niger faces triple challenge of food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty in a fragile biophysical and socio-economic context, characterized by poor, low-fertility soils, irregular rainfall in time and space, land degradation and low crop productivity. Fertilizers and seeds are an essential factor in increasing agricultural productivity. Yet in Niger, fertilizer use is low, averaging less than 4 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha). As for improved seeds, the rate of their use is estimated at less than 3% . Studies have shown that water provision through an adequate irrigation system optimizes investment in fertilizers and seeds through improved crop yields.
In response to the USAID/Niger bilateral mission’s request for a project description of fertilizer, seed and irrigation models as part of a Buy-Ins proposal to the Feed the Future Space To Place project for W est Africa, IFDC and its partners in Niger, notably the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, extension services, fertilizer and seed regulatory services, farmers’ organizations and development partners present the project description Appui au Renforcement des Investissements Agricole entitled Feed the Future Niger (ARIA – Niger).
The ARIA – Niger project, with a duration of 3 years (2024-2025), is a continuation of the activities of PARSEN (fertilizer sector) and ISSD Sahel (seed sector). The project is structured to consolidate the achievements of these two (2) projects to meet the major challenges that persist in these two sectors. Added to this are questions of irrigation models adapted to the Niger context. This ARIA – Niger project has therefore been developed based on the results of the capitalization and experience-sharing workshops of the above-mentioned projects. These two workshops, held in Niamey in 2023, brought together various stakeholders in Niger’s fertilizer and seed sector. These workshops helped identify the major challenges and draw up a roadmap for improving input availability in Niger, with a view to increasing production in Niger’s cropping systems. For the implementation of this project, partnerships involving the public and private sectors, development partners, civil society and farmers’ organizations will be highlighted to boost the development of the fertilizer and seed sector, as well as the use of appropriate irrigation models.
The main objective of the ARIA – Niger project is to strengthen agricultural investments to increase producer resilience and improve food security. Its strategic objective (SO) is to improve agricultural productivity through the promotion of groundwater management models and the availability and accessibility of quality inputs (fertilizers and seeds) under the leadership of the private sector in Niger. The objectives will be achieved through three intermediate results (IR):
- IR 1: The strengthening of the private sector has led to increased availability of affordable, quality fertilizers for producers.
- IR 2: Niger’s private seed sector (entrepreneurs) is supported to make quality seed more accessible to producers.
- IR 3: Irrigation technologies enabling better control of groundwater are tested and scaled up with the involvement of the private sector.
These goals and IR align behind USAID’s strategy in Niger, and with many of Niger’s national priorities, such as the Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth Strategy (SDDCI) horizon 2035. They are also in line with the rural sector management and food and nutrition security aspects of the rural development strategy. Finally, this project is in line with regional policies and strategies such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Common Agricultural Development Programme (CADP) and the five-year PDES 2022-2026.
